Our First Family Vacation

When Tim and I first started talking, before our first date, we often talked about going to the Supercross race in Las Vegas. This now has been something on our bucket list for over three and a half years. A few months ago we were watching a race on TV and I got to thinking that there is also a race in Phoenix, AZ. Which also happens to be where my godparents live. So, while watching the race I jumped on the computer and found out which weekend the race was and then looked at tickets. I could hardly believe my eyes when I pulled up tickets on Southwest for just $88 round trip, total! That price included taxes as well as two free checked bags. I was so excited that I asked Tim, "Wanna go?" He of course said, "Yes!" My next step was then to look up how much tickets were to go to the race, and if we could find good seats. Since we had found such a great deal on the flight we were able to find great seats at a somewhat decent price.

I quickly called my aunt (godmother) and made sure it was ok with her for us to come and stay with them. She of course was extremely welcoming. It was settled, we didn't hesitate, bought the tickets and waited a few months for our first family vacation! 

Our flight out to Phoenix left at 6:15am. So, this meant we left our house at 3:30am. We of course were excited so sleeping didn't come too easy, but thankfully we did sleep a little. Karoline, who we thought would sleep on the way to the airport didn't fall asleep until we got to the parking lot, go figure. 

After getting onto the shuttled, checking our bags, through security and finding our gate we had enough time to eat a little breakfast and get ready for the flight. Traveling this early might not be ideal to some, but we loved it, especially Tim. One could say he's not the biggest fan of having to deal with other people or wait in large crowds. 

We were able to board the plane with all of the other families, before general seating. 

Karoline was great on the flight. We made sure we got up and walked around once as recommended by my OBGYN. We also gave her a sucker when we started our decent into Phoenix to help with her ears popping. Truly, she was awesome, we couldn't have asked for it to go any better. She of course did not sleep, despite being woken up 4 hours before her usual wake up time. 

After getting our luggage and finding my aunt we made our way back to their house for some breakfast. At this point it seemed Karoline got her second wind, so we went to the park. It was only after we left the park that she seemed a bit on the sleepy side. We were going to go for a drive to show Tim my uncle's golf course, and then this happened ...

Please note this is not our usual car seat and we still have Karoline rear face. This car seat was one that we were able to travel with much easier at this time since I am unable to help carry anything over 25lbs.

Apparently they were both a little tired. We drove around for a little bit. But, true to form the second we pulled into the driveway Karoline was wide awake for the rest of the day. 

On Saturday we were able to go to the Train Park. A park that I remember playing at with my brother and cousins. It was really neat to get to experience it all again with Karoline. 

Karoline enjoyed riding on the train!

My parents have a picture of me "driving" this stage coach in their home.

Sand is always a favorite.

After playing at the park I was fortunate enough to get Karoline to take a nap. Not only that but, I also got a picture of her sleeping! I do not have very many of these.

Such a sweet girl sleeping with her "bay."

Saturday night was the Supercross race. I was very excited to get to see what it was my husband used to do. The race was held at Chase Stadium. I had been to the stadium for a baseball game before, it was neat to see it transformed to a track. Overall, it was a really fun experience. I enjoyed getting to see it live, vs on TV, we (Tim, my uncle, and I) all had a great time. I was however glad I had ear plugs. They weren't necessary and the noise level was safe for R2. But, they sure were nice to drown out the sound of the announcers who felt it was a good idea to yell into a microphone. 

This was also the first night that someone else has put Karoline to bed in over a year. She did great and so did I. There is something to be said about knowing your child is in good and capable hands. It makes it much easier to enjoy yourself and have a good time. Karoline even started calling my aunt, "Nana." At this point in time she can't quite say the word aunt. None of us ever used the term Nana when referring to my aunt, she came up with that all on her own. My brother put it best when he said, "They (my mom and aunt) both do have extremely big hearts and aren't afraid to show it. So, I could see the confusion on her (Karoline's) part." 

We were sitting on what is normally the third base line.

Such a handsome guy.

Sunday was the last full day of our trip. Karoline wanted to make sure that we enjoyed all of it and was up at 4:30am. She slept with us off an on until about 6:30. One of her worst nights in a while. I am beyond thankful that her normal nights of sleep are from 8pm-7am. I sure hope R2 sleeps just as well as she usually does. The boys went on a bike ride while us girls had some shopping to do. I made a seven layer dip for the Bronco game as well as a carrot cake for dessert. There was a nap for Karoline that came in the car. I am not sure how many times I've sat in the car so she could nap but it always has been worth it. She would love to not nap, but poor little thing doesn't realize her little body still needs them. Thankfully she slept well and was able to make it through the Bronco game. 

Representing the Bronco's in AZ!

The game ended well and we were all pretty happy with the outcome. After such an early start to our day we were in bed and asleep by 10pm on Sunday night. Both Tim and I were elated when we woke up on Monday morning all on our own at 6:30am! Karoline didn't wake up until 7am, guess it just took a few days for her to get used to her surroundings. 

The airport in Phoenix is not near as large as DIA. We were able to make it to our gate in no time and had plenty of time to people watch and eat an early lunch. Our flight home went just as well as our flight out. This time we came into Denver from the west side. It was really neat, Tim was able to point out the Sand Dunes, Salida, Canon City, Pikes Peak and we could even see a dust storm in Pueblo that had shut down I25. On our decent it was a little bumpy, the rhythmic swaying was enough to put Karoline to sleep and to make me pretty sleepy too. When we landed several people were surprised to see Karoline was even with us at all, they all said she was just an angel on the flight! I'm very thankful it went so well. 

All in all, we had a great trip. I learned that traveling with small children definitely takes a bit more planning up front, but if you put in the time everything will hopefully go smoothly. I'm glad we were able to take a trip as a family of three and that it went so well. I look forward to many more trips in the future as a family of four. I can't believe our little R2 will be here in 12 weeks. We have finally picked a boys name, still no clue for a girl! 

Second Time Around

For over 19 months I've been trying to write this post. Now I have sweet little R2 kicking away and it's a great time to get my mind ready for the impending delivery date.

When Karoline was born I read every book and I asked every question I had to all of my Facebook world friends. Come to find out, there's no way to 100% prepare for having a baby and there are still several things that you really can not know until you've experienced it. So, to all of my friends who have told me that I better write everything down so that when they have kids I can pass along the info, this post is for you. Who am I kidding, despite the fact that we will have two kids under two this post is for me too. I am now a mom and experience mom brain on a regular basis. I'm hoping this post will get me in the right mind set to be prepared for baby number two. 

Bare with me as this list will be in all forms ... 

• You really don't need to take pillows to the hospital.
• Pack extra clothes, just in case your stay is longer than you think it might be.
• You don't have to wear that horrible hospital gown or a gown of any form after you have the baby. Who knew, I wore a gown the whole time. No one told me I could change, so I didn't. Wish I would've, next time.
• You can change your baby. No your baby doesn't have to wear that ugly little white shirt and look like a hospital baby the whole time. 
• Disclaimer: I had minimal laundry to do when we got home because of not changing into our clothes. 
• Take a swaddle to the hospital (the ones with velcro) their blankets do not keep the baby snuggled up tight.
• Take your boppy pillow for nursing at the hospital.
• Bring more snacks than you think are necessary for your husband. Maybe even make him order himself a pizza.
• Keep everything the hospital gives you. Ask for extra pads before you go, the ones they provide are fantastic. 
• Don't take anything to the hospital that can't be replaced. 
• Read books about getting the baby to sleep before the baby is in your home and you're desperate. I recommend, "The Baby Whisperer." Never, ever pay full price. Find a children's consignment store and buy it, they're everywhere. 
• Bottles: Only buy one of each kind, maybe two different types and wait and see what one your baby likes. Then and only then buy more, if you need them.
• Google, "mastitis," and read about it so you know the symptoms. Catch it early and it might not be as HORRIBLE as what I experienced. 
• When breastfeeding keep a towel, or several within arms reach. You'll thank me later. 
• Disposable breast pads, buy them, buy LOTS of them. Washable are great after a few months but for the first few months you'll go through them, and you'll go through them fast. Seriously, if you think you have enough of them, double it. 
• Feminine pads, some of all sizes, buy as many as you can. You think I'm joking, I'm not. Don't worry about buying name brand, the store brand works just as well. Put them in the freezer when you are needing some relief. 
• Gripe water drops!!! Find them by the baby Tylonal (might want to get some of that too, we didn't use it until Karoline was older but it was nice to have on hand). Gripe water saved us on several occasions. It is a must!
• Breast milk bags, lay them flat when you freeze them so they will store easier. Found that out the hard way. 
• The "Diaper Genie" is in my opinion a waste of money. We bought a bathroom size trash can that has a foot pedal lid. It keeps the smell out and we just empty the can often. Oh, and Walmart bags are free!! Every diaper genie I've ever experienced still has a nasty odor when the lid is open. Not sure about you but I'd rather toss a Walmart bag more often and keep the smell out of my house completely.  
• Completely cover the changing table with these amazing little white square (12"x12") pads, you can find them at Babies R Us. When I say completely, I mean it ... even with little girls. If you don't do this, you'll know why I said to soon enough. 
• Cloth diapers are the best for cleaning/soaking up spit up. 
• A spray bottle with a little clorox and water is your best friend. Amazing for getting stains out of onsies, and for getting the bath tub clean in a pinch when the baby explodes. Keep that bottle handy! It was such a huge help when I was home alone with Karoline and needed to sanitize fast. 
• Hand sanitizer (in every room) and lotion, you'll need it. 
• Stock up on everything that you can before the baby comes. The last thing you want to do is go to the store after the baby is here.
• If someone wants to visit you and they ask if there is anything they can bring, take them up on it. I was so hungry after Karoline was born. I should have asked everyone that came over to bring a fruit or veggie tray. 
• Lower your standards for your home. I drove myself crazy and really didn't take time to just enjoy holding Karoline. I was always worried about keeping the house clean and the laundry done. Something I wish I could take back. 
• Do what you can when you can. If you want to hold the baby while they sleep, do it. Yet another thing I wish I would have done. No matter what that baby will learn how to sleep in their own bed at some point in time. I don't know too many people who still sleep with their parents. 
• Increase your fiber in the last few months of pregnancy. 
• Tucks pads, google them and what they are for if you aren't sure. Put them in the refrigerator if you are needing a little extra relief. 
• Medical glove full of ice, place where needed. Sounds funny but I've been told this really works wonders. 

To those moms who are anxiously awaiting their sweet baby remember this. Although these last few weeks may be uncomfortable, try to savor the moments. Put your feet up, feel your baby move and rest. Please remember that there are women everywhere who would give anything to be in your shoes. Having a baby is a blessing and for some it is a dream that is still out of reach. So, while your feet may hurt and you are anxious beyond belief, give thanks.

I'm sure at some point in time I will add to this list. But, for now this is a pretty good start. I hope that any and all who read it will take away some useful information. Please comment if you have something else to add to the list. Like I said, I'm hoping that my second time around will be a little easier. Any information or tips will be greatly appreciated! 

Happy Holidays

Family and friends, 

It’s that time of year again! I believe it’s true, time flies when you’re having fun!

Right now I am watching my sweet almost year and a half year old, Karoline, pretend to clean up her baby doll. I have to admit that I get a kick out of watching her “clean” and organize. She is such a sweet girl. If she spills she will say, “uh-oh,” run into the kitchen, grab a towel and clean up her mess. Before bed she has to insure that all of her toys are cleaned up and that the shoes are lined up by the back door. Did I mention I love this child?! Her vocabulary grows more every day and she is now combing words to make sentences. It astounds us when we turn around to find her doing something that neither of us has showed her but rather she watched us do one time.

Tim recently was promoted at work, he is now a specialist at the End Plant for MillerCoors. In September, he was selected to be apart of a company wide team that meets to discuss safety matters. This meant he got to take a business trip to Ohio in September for a week. He had never been east of the Mississippi so this was a neat experience for him. We recently found out he will be headed to Milwaukee for a week at the end of January. I'm excited that he is getting to travel. He will tell you he would rather be at home with us, such a sweet guy. But, from my point of view it's a great way to explore and see some states he would otherwise would not normally visit. So, to ensure he has a good time I send a long a pack of great snacks and a new picture of his sweet daughter! 

At this point in time I’m a stay at home wife and mom, and I am loving every minute of it. I am thankful that I have this opportunity, it is such a joy to be able to watch Karoline learn and grow. These last few weeks of watching her change and learn every day have been such a joy. There really is no other way to describe it than joyous. Lately I have had this overwhelming feeling and calm that I am in the right place doing the right thing. When I look over at my daughter and I see her learning how to open and close a purse or sitting and reading a book I just smile. I cherish the moments when she puts her hands up and says, "I want mama." I know that all too quickly she will grow into an independent little lady. 

In addition, we are expecting our second child, who we refer to as R2, due April 8, 2014. R2 is a very active belly baby, we can already see movement from the outside (we are now a complete 23 weeks along). At our 20 week ultra sound we were blessed to see that our little darling is a healthy baby. This go around we will continue our tradition of not finding out the gender of the baby. We had such an awesome experience with the delivery day surprise of Karoline!

Living in a home of our own has been an adventure. Like most new home owners we are learning that it seems there is always something to fix or replace. Last summer we enjoyed getting to spend our mornings outside in the back yard. Tim is working very hard on it to make it meet his standards. I on the other hand am still trying to acquire the little accents that will  make our house feel like a home. 

Every day is a new day and we are thankful for the opportunity to spend them together as a family that continues to grow.

We wish for you all a very happy holiday season.

Love,
Tim, Jamie, Karoline & R2

Our 2013 Christmas card photo

R2!

Let's be honest ...

This is my first blog post in months. Tim is off to finish up a motorcycle license class and Karoline is still asleep. To be completely honest, waking up early suits me. I enjoy how much energy I have with a few more minutes of alone time until my boss wakes up and calls, "mama, mama, mama, mama ..." you get the idea. I find it difficult to post in the evenings, by the time I get Karoline into bed, shower and eat it is already time for me to start thinking about bed myself so that I can do it all again tomorrow. No complaints here, it's just how things work out. So, perhaps I need to start waking up earlier to write, I miss it. I miss the idea of having a good place to store Karoline's accomplishments.

Here's a quick recap of our little princess. She sleeps 11 hours straight most nights, when she doesn't you would think our whole world was shaken. Thank goodness those nights are now very few and far between. She is starting to put sentences together. I've recently come to the realization that maybe it's only me that can figure out what she is saying sometimes but never the less she is doing it! Most sentences are, "I want a ...I need a..." but recently we got an, "I love you too." They were the most precious sounding words I've ever heard!

This week we get to go to our 20 week ultra sound appointment to finally see our little R2! I'm beyond excited. I feel like the pregnancy is flying by but at the same time creeping along. The perfect combination, I'm excited to meet the baby but am enjoying being pregnant. We've talked about this being our last baby, you never know but better to enjoy every minute of it just in case.

More later, the boss beacons!

Long time no blog

Finding time to blog has become something that has been pushed to the back of my agenda. I need to work on taking the time. At some point I think I would even like to redo the layout of my blog... someday. 

I suppose a quick recap of what's going on in our lives is in order. 

Tim received his first promotion at work. I'm beyond proud and know that he will only continue to work his way up. This week he was also invited to take his very first business trip to the brewery in Trenton, OH. He's never been east of the Mississippi. Again, I'm pretty stoked for this opportunity for him. He's such a great guy and I'm thankful that his work ethic is noticed by others. 

Karoline is growing and learning at such a remarkable pace. She completely understands everything we say to her and now can respond with short answers. She's such a doll. 

I have found that I am not the only one who feels like I'm alone. Alone in the sense that there are no friends near by that are the kind of friends that you can just show up or meet up on a moments notice. Several of my friends have told me they feel the same way. I am really hoping that as I am able to continue to get more involved with Karoline that we will find some friends. Friends that fit our family, dads get along, moms get along and the kiddos can play. Hopefully one day. 

It's been raining non stop for the last few days and I had really enjoyed the rain until today. I hadn't watched the news in a while and apparently their is flooding occurring all around us. Hoping and praying that everyone makes smart choices and listens to the warnings. 

Well, I've rediscovered that typing at night also has a knack for putting me to sleep. Good night!

Life As We Know It

Today started out great, Karoline slept well and slept in! We had a fun morning hanging out at home as a family and Tim went off to work. Sometimes I sure wish he didn't have to go to work, but it makes the time we are together even better.

This afternoon I had every intention of cleaning the house. Well, to be completely honest I never wanted to but I knew it needed to be done. When Karoline woke up from a long nap she was a happy girl, when her dad left, she was no longer a happy camper. She was fit to be tied and did not want my attention on anything but her. So, instead of cleaning we went to the pool. We had a great time and were there for a couple hours. We met another little girl just a few months older than K and they played for quite a while. In the mean time I was able to talk to her mom. I have come to the conclusion that moms really do enjoy talking to other moms. Most of the time I keep to myself because I worry that I will bug other moms. Come to find out, they want to talk too! It was a nice afternoon.

When we got home we did our usual routine and I was bound and determined to clean when Karoline was in bed. Like I mentioned, I really did not want to clean today. So, instead I watched a movie, "Life As We Know It." In the movie a one year old girl loses her parents and she is left to her parents best friends. This movie was hard for me to watch even before having Karoline and now after it's down right painful.

When Tim's mom passed away I never really had a break down cry like I usually do. Instead her passing has stuck with me longer and in a more painful way than any other death has. I have this constant fear of leaving my baby girl. I fear that something will happen to myself or to her, or to Tim and that we won't be able to watch her grow as a family. I would like to think that this is a fear that most moms go through. It's a terrible thought to have to think about someone else raising your child. Would they do the things you do, let her get away with things that you let her get away with? Would they let her fall so that she can learn to get back up? Would they teach her all about life and teach her to love Jesus like I would? That last part is the most important. Even though I have these fears I also have the comfort of knowing that everything happens for a reason. If, God forbid, for some reason I should not get to see Karoline grow up or Tim wouldn't or we both wouldn't we know that we would get to see her and be apart of her life from Heaven. Life is a gift and there are so many uncertain things that we can't control. For today I am beyond thankful that I chose to take my baby girl swimming at the pool. I got to watch her throw her diving ring and say, "Get it!" I got to see her play with another baby girl. I got to see her excitement of learning how to walk in a pool all by herself. I am thankful for every day that I get with her. She is such a joy in my life. I pray that I am always able to watch her grow and learn. I pray that if that is not what God's plan is for me that she will know that I am always with her. Even when I leave her now my heart and my mind are always with her. One of the greatest parts about having children is learning just how much your own parents love you. It's amazing to know that this love I have for Karoline is the same love my mom has for me. And even better yet this love is only a small percentage of the love that Jesus has for us.

I am thankful to be able to type out my feelings here on my blog. I hope that in some way those who take time to read my posts find them encouraging.

Pillow Cases

We had such a nice weekend just enjoying our time together and family. Saturday morning I went to IKEA and picked up our bedside tables and our dresser. Tim spent most of the day putting them together and they look great! We love them and are definitely impressed with the quality of the products. We will most definitely be shopping at IKEA again for our furniture and would recommend it to anyone. Tim said he can see how someone could get confused while putting the furniture together but that would be an operator error. He was rather impressed by how laid out the instructions were and the corresponding parts. 

On Sunday my mom, Karoline and myself went to the zoo, and we had a great. It was so nice to be able to use our zoo pass again. We were able to go in early and get through half of the park and ride the carrousel before it got too hot and too crowded. It was just right! While we were at the zoo Tim and Scottie went golfing and they had a really enjoyable time too. 

Sunday afternoon we went to dinner at our favorite fish taco place, Rubio's! 

Today we spent the morning cleaning up and getting the house back in order. About an hour before bedtime we had a delivery, our sheets made it here! I opened up the sheets and Karoline immediately went to the blankets and snuggled in. She loves blankets! At one point I looked over and she had a pillow case around her back and neck like a cape. When I asked her to look at me she had the pillow up to her head a little (very Virgin Marry looking). Her sweet adorable face was just perfect. She was so pleased with herself to be able to have gotten the pillow case to that location! That face is one that I will never forget, my innocent and cute little baby girl.

I should also mention that today is mine and Tim's 3rd anniversary. So much has happened in just three years and I'm looking forward to all of the years to come!